Washington College Hires Two Assistants

CHESTERTOWN, Maryland, May 28. WASHINGTON College head men’s and women’s swim coach Kim Lessard has announced the hiring of Jillian Hancock and Matthew Harris as the programs’ new assistant coaches, beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.

Hancock was a standout swimmer at perennial New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) powerhouse Williams College. She was an NCAA Division III All-American and an Scholar All-American all four years and helped the Ephs win their eighth, ninth, 10th, and 11th consecutive NESCAC Championships. She left Williams as the school record-holder in the 200 freestyle and previously held school records in the 500 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay, and 800 freestyle relay.

Hancock graduated from Williams, Cum Laude, with a B.A. in Biology with honors in 2011. She spent the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach at Division I Bucknell University. She also spent the summer of 2008 as a summer league coach in Lewisburg, PA.

Harris turned in an outstanding career swimming four years at Kenyon College, helping the Lords win their 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th NCAA Division III Team Championships. He won four NCAA Division III individual championships, finishing first in both butterfly events as a junior and senior, and was a part of 11 different national-championship relays. He was voted his team’s Most Valuable Swimmer and served as team captain as a senior.

Harris qualified for, and competed in, the 100-meter butterfly at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials and competed in the 100 and 200 butterfly events at the 2009 World Championship Trials.

Following his graduation from Kenyon, Harris worked in sales in Boston for two years while also volunteering with three local college swimming programs and coaching a new club team in the area. He then returned to Maryland and taught at DeMatha Catholic, his high school alma mater, for one year and worked with club and neighborhood swim teams. Harris, who has been swimming since he was 10 years old, earned a B.A. in English from Kenyon in 2009 and is pursuing a Master’s in the same field.

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